


sing a song for me, love me endlessly

by orphan_account



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, dumb late-night conversations and stuff, lmao first work for the fandom hope it's good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 07:08:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6108934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Dude," Tyler says, and then, when Josh doesn't look up, "Dude. Do you think this is what sex feels like?"</p><p>Josh almost chokes on the gum he's chewing. </p><p>(A high school AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	sing a song for me, love me endlessly

**Author's Note:**

> title from "stuck on you" by new politics.

It's the middle of art class. They're making clay pots today, which Josh is completely uninterested in. At least he's allowed to chose his own design.

He sketches out an idea for a tattoo he wants to get once he turns eighteen onto the clay. Across from him, Tyler is already folding his clay into a cup shape. Hands covered in water, he begins to smooth out the cup's edge.

It's weirdly erotic to watch his fingers squeeze the clay into a thinner shape. Josh averts his eyes quickly. No sense in paying attention to  _ that  _ thought, he tells his mind. Tyler isn't gay.

"Dude," Tyler says, and then, when Josh doesn't look up, "Dude. Do you think this is what sex feels like?"

Josh almost chokes on the gum he's chewing. 

"Fuck if I know," he replies. "Gay, remember?"

Tyler nods impatiently. "Yes, but. Same concept, right? Hole, fingers..." He makes a weird gesture to convey the rest, blushing slightly. 

Josh really doesn't need to think about that, especially not so close to Tyler, so he shrugs and goes back to his clay. A minute later, a blob of the stuff hits him in the cheek. Josh wipes the wet clay off his face and turns his eyes to Tyler. 

"What?" he asks, trying to look as annoyed as possible. 

Tyler almost sounds petulant, but he's grinning. "Josh, am I right? This is very important, you know. For science." 

Josh knows any confirmation he gives will send this thought right to Twitter, and he really doesn't need to give Brendon any more ideas about either sex or him and Tyler.

He sighs. "No, Tyler. It's probably not like sex. In any case, how would I know?"

"True," Tyler muses, clay-covered hand to his chin. "I could always ask Brendon, but..." 

He trails off, and Josh is grateful for it. Hurriedly, he changes the subject to something more interesting, more important, and Tyler goes along with it.

  
  


* * *

 

During Calculus, his phone buzzes with a text from Brendon. 

 

**b'den** : heard u and loverboy had sex

 

**b'den** : or at least talked about it during art

 

**b'den** : which is practically the same thing when u think about ty's usual conversation topics of death & sadness & despair

 

Josh groans and sends a text back, hoping his math teacher won't take his phone. 

 

**jishwa** : fuck off brendon it wasn't like that

 

**b'den** : ;))))))) or was it

 

**jishwa** : did tyjo tell you about the convo?

 

**b'den** : you guys forgot patrick sits right behind you in art. he heard the whole thing and came to English slightly traumatized. 

 

Oh, right. Patrick. The kid was usually pretty quiet in class, but he and Josh had struck up a casual friendship after being introduced at one of Pete Wentz's parties. Patrick was nice enough, but why the hell he'd told Brendon about the conversation was beyond Josh. 

 

**jishwa** : fuck patrick

 

**b'den** : don't

 

**b'den** : fuck tyler instead

 

**jishwa** : no

 

**jishwa** : not having sex with my straight best friend

 

**jishwa** : fuck no

 

**b'den** : yeah ok but consider this: maybe he isn't straight. have you ever asked?

 

**jishwa** : he'd tell me I think. maybe he's not comfortable with it? and even if he is gay

 

**jishwa** : it doesn’t fucking matter because he probably isn’t attracted to me

 

**jishwa** : also don’t post this conversation in the group chat like you did last time

 

**jishwa** : i almost had a heart attack when tyler rejoined the chat

 

**b’den** : dude that was harmless he couldn’t see it

 

**b’den** : but whatever. your wish is my command.

 

**b’den** : now fuck off 

 

**jishwa** : i’ll have you know u started this conversation

 

**b’den** : whatever :))))

 

**jishwa** : fuck you brendon

 

He drops his phone onto the desk with a sigh, and his teacher glares at him. Josh resigns himself to a very boring rest of class. 

 

* * *

 

Math passes without incident, and soon enough it's lunch time. Josh hurries to the cafeteria, then walks over to the corner table, the one usually occupied by his friends. Brendon is already there, dipping disappointing cafeteria fries in a mountain of ketchup. He waves at Josh with one as he approaches.  

"Hey, loverboy! How was Calc?"

"Oh, fuck off," Josh replies, sliding into a seat. "Has Tyler gotten here yet?"

Brendon laughs. "Nope. Pete and 'Trick are already in the lunch line, but I haven't seen your boyfriend yet."

Josh groans and slides a hand through his hair. "I knew I shouldn't have told you about my crush. 

A familiar voice from right behind him asks, "What crush?"

Josh doesn't even have to turn around to know it's Tyler. 

"I actually hate you, did you know that?" he tells Brendon, refusing to make eye contact with his best friend. Tyler sits down next to him, history textbook in hand. 

"I'm wounded you told Brendon first," he whines. "I'm your best friend." Tyler pouts dramatically at him, but Josh ignores it, taking a bite of his sandwich instead. 

Brendon, however, has a look on his face that Josh knows means trouble. 

"Well, Tyler," he drawls, moving yet another French fry in a dramatic flourish, "he told me because-"

Josh scans the cafeteria desperately for something to save him. He catches sight of Pete and Patrick exiting the lunch line and waves them over hurriedly. 

"Pete!" Josh exclaims, grateful for his friend's appearance. "Thank god."

Pete shoots him a weird look, but doesn't comment. Instead, he drops his lunch onto the table and proclaims, "I'm fucking done with school. Anyone want to skip seventh period with me and go to the movies?"

Patrick sighs as he sits down next to Pete. "I already told you, they'll call your parents if you don't show up. Besides, there's never anything good playing at one-thirty on a Tuesday afternoon."

"Bullshit!" Brendon exclaims, brandishing his fry like a sword. "That's when all the good shows are playing!

Josh leaves them to their arguing and instead focuses on whatever Tyler's doing. The brunet has his head bent over a notebook and seems to be etching notes into the margins. Josh cranes his neck just slightly and catches a few of them.

_wow his hair is so nice?? and such a pretty color too ahh i love red hair_

_not as straight as i thought apparently_

_but who falls for their best friend wtf that always ends in tragedy_

Tyler hurriedly slams the notebook shut, and they both stare at each other. Josh can feel his cheeks burning- whether with embarrassment or surprise, he doesn't know. 

"I gotta go," Tyler says suddenly, and then he's gone. Josh watches him leave, a pit forming in the bottom of his stomach. He's fucked everything up, and he knows it.

* * *

Josh doesn't hear from Tyler for the entire rest of the day. Even in band, which they both take together, Tyler avoids his eyes and any attempts to communicate. 

After school, the situation is no different. Josh finishes his homework around ten thirty and ends up falling asleep with his phone in his hand, waiting for a text from Tyler.

When he wakes up again, it's late. Sometime around three AM, Josh would guess, if he was awake enough to care.

He blinks blearily at the darkened room before glancing at his rug. His phone is lying there, ringing, the screen illuminating a small patch of the darkness.

Josh stumbles out of bed and grabs for it. One glance confirms that it's Tyler calling, and Josh immediately picks up.

"Ty? What's wrong?"

He can hear nervous breathing on the other end, but there's no reply.

"Tyler?" he asks again. He's scarily awake now, reminded of the last time he was called this early. Last time had been Tyler on a rooftop, trying to convince himself not to jump."Ty, speak to me. What's up?"

Tyler takes a shaky breath, muffled by phone static. "I know you saw the notebook," he says, and Josh inhales sharply.

"Yeah," he says. "I kind of did, I guess."

"You don't hate me, right, Josh?" Tyler's voice is filled with worry

Josh is taken aback by the question. "Of course not. You're my best friend, Tyler."

He waits. It takes Tyler a while to explain his thoughts, sometimes. He listens to Tyler breath on the other side of the line.

His friend's words, when they do come, spill out in a rush.

"It's just, sometimes you say things with your mouth and I can't stop staring and once I saw you changing after gym and it made me feel weird and your smile makes my stomach hurt and I can't make eye contact with you much anymore because your eyes are really pretty, Josh." There's a short, slightly awkward pause. "Shit. Sorry."

"No, no, it's okay." Josh is pretty sure he's in shock. His heart is pounding too fast, and for a brief moment he considers just replying like a friend would.

He doesn't, though. Instead, he quietly tells Tyler, "I like you, too."

There's a stunned silence on the other end, then a tiny "Really?

"Really," Josh says. "Now go the fuck to sleep, man. I'll talk to you at school."

"Okay," Tyler mutters softly. "See you."

The phone utters a click, and then there's silence.

**Author's Note:**

> i might continue this? who knows, really. i just couldn't get this idea out of my head today.
> 
> hey also follow me on tumblr @juunkets


End file.
